Auditory Illusions : Holophonic Sound

update: July 27, 2008 – Mike Costa emailed me tonight with this tidbit.. I thought I’d share the information and link. Thanks to Mike for the 411.

Hey, I just got a Stumble Upon your bog about “holophonic sound” today and though you might be intersted to know that it was more-than-likely recorded with one of these: A Neumann KU 100, two microphones that are essentially a replica of a human head. Now you know!

These super clear audio files are called holophony (holophonic sound recordings) and are designed to be listened to with headphones for the best effect. They have been recorded with a dummy head that has two microphones, one in each ear. The shape of the head and ears are designed to be similar to a human head to most closely replicate real human hearing. It’s pretty incredible.

Grab your headphones and have a listen. While the content itself isn’t that engaging, the sound effects will probably have you listening a second time.